From the folks at Trupanion pet insurance, we thank you for visiting our blog and being a part of the community. It is our goal to educate pet owners everywhere about the importance of pet care, positive pet parenting, pet safety, and the many advantages of Trupanion pet insurance. Thanks again for visiting our blog and remember to protect your pet and yourself with Trupanion pet insurance.

Pet toys keep getting more and more imaginative. Here are a few that might surprise you or entice you. Let us know what you think!

1.       Snuggie. Believe it or not, they now make one for pets. With convenient sleeves, your dog no longer has to struggle with a blanket when reaching for the remote control. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with the handy reading light. Sorry folks.

2.       Michael Vick chew toy. No one really wants this thing lying around their house, but what a rewarding feeling it is to allow our dogs to get a little revenge.

3.       Designer dog shoes. Of course they’re just plush toys, but finally there are Jimmy Chews that you can afford. Perhaps accompany it with a matching Pawda bag?

4.       Necktie collar. Sometimes we want to include the whole family, including our pets, on those fancy occasions. But we refrain because we know they would inevitably get made fun of by the bully dogs.

5.       iPaw toys. Now your pet can be high-tech like you by listening to the squeaks of his very own iPaw. Also available: the iBone.

6.       Your favorite celebrity. Did you know that you can choose from an array of plush toys that play on celebrity names? I like Brad Pittbull.

7.       Sweet treats. You enjoy your favorite candy so much, but have never been able to share it with your pet—until now! Dots for your dogs?

8.       A feline feast. You can find catnip toys in all shapes and sizes including steak, carrots, sushi, shrimp, and pumpkin pie! The good news: no carbs.

9.       Fancy pet snacks. Specialized pet bakeries offer treats covered in frosting and dipped in sprinkles that look good enough for us to eat. Though a little pricey, it’s tempting to want to offer your pet assorted truffles packaged in a gold box with a bow on top.

10.   Cat furniture litter box. This fancy cabinetry promotes the feng shui of your décor contrary to the “unsightly litter box”. Downside: Your guests may wonder what is causing that foul odor and receive an “unsightly” surprise when they open the cabinet in search of a magazine.

One evening, during my typical dog walk, I noticed we were approaching a very anxious dog. I tried to hurry past it without confrontation, but the lady loosened her leash to allow the dog to reach mine. Usually this isn’t a problem because my dog is very friendly with others, but on this particular occasion, her dog seemed to “freak out” at getting to meet mine and over-excitedly lunged at my dog in some sort of attack. I yanked my dog away and she was fine, but it got me to thinking about how some people are very ignorant to the common sense of dog walking. In a place so densely dog populated, pet owners need to establish some common walking etiquette in order for us all to get along and be able to peacefully walk our dogs every day.

1.       Do: Pick up after your dog. Most places have laws about this, plus it's just rude to leave a steaming pile where someone might step.

2.       Don’t allow your dog to trample through someone else’s garden. While it’s obviously harmful to the plants, the plants may also be harmful to your dog.

3.       Don’t: Dogs should not relieve themselves on other peoples’ gardens, either. It’s inconsiderate to allow your pet to pee on someone’s beautiful flowers or plants.

4.       Do restrict meet and greets. Though we like our dogs to make new friends, not every pet owner welcomes distractions on their walks. Don’t allow your dog to go up to someone else’s dog unless you have permission from the other owner.

5.       The same goes for people. Don’t let your dog go up to every person he sees unless it is welcomed. Even though your dog is the cutest dog out there, some people may not be in the mood to stop and love your pet, and others are afraid of dogs.

6.       Subsequently, don’t go up to other people’s dogs without asking first. He may look like a sweetie, but dog behavior is unpredictable.

7.       Do: Always leash your dog unless you’re at a designated off-leash area. While your dog might be a social butterfly and perfectly well behaved, you can’t assume that of every other dog you pass. Seeing a dog off-leash may also make other people (or dogs) nervous or anxious, so do them a favor and keep your pet leashed.

8.       Do: And on that note, leash-train your dog. Spend some time with your pal to teach him to always walk alongside you unless you have allowed otherwise. (If you’re having trouble with an enthusiastic walker, look into products like a prong collar, or head collars such as the Gentle Leader or the Halti.)

9.       Do: Share the sidewalk. It makes it difficult and is annoying to other pedestrians to have to maneuver around your dog when he is taking up the entire walkway. Be aware of others and respect other pedestrians’ space.

10.   And of course, do enjoy yourself! For some dogs, this is their only time to get out so make the best of it by showing them new places and smells once in a while instead of the same boring routine day after day.

A claim recently rolled in for a dog who was poisoned by the Sago Palm (The claim was paid, by the way). This inspired a reminder to all pet owners that the Sago Palm and many other common plants are extremely toxic to pets when ingested.

The Sago Palm is particularly toxic to pets causing vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and leads to liver failure. An estimated 75% of animals die from ingestion of any part of the plant despite medical treatment.

Other poisonous plants include (but are not limited to*):

• Amaryllis: Causes vomiting, depression, drooling, and tremors
• Azalea: Causes abdominal pain and irritation, vomiting, and severe cases lead to coma and death
• Castor Bean: Highly toxic, causing drooling, thirst, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions and coma
• Chrysanthemum: Causes drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, can lead to loss of coordination
• English Ivy: Highly toxic, causing vomiting, diarrhea, trouble breathing, and can lead to coma and death
• Lilies: Highly toxic to cats, can cause kidney damage
• Oleander: Highly toxic, causing stomach irritation, cardiac problems, and can lead to death
• Rhubarb: Moderately toxic, causing breathing difficulties, weakness, diarrhea, and can lead to death
• Tulip bulbs: Causes stomach irritation, drooling, anorexia, and convulsions
• Yew: Highly toxic, causing breathing and cardiac problems, weakness, stomach irritation and can cause sudden death

Be sure to take all the correct safety precautions in your garden, especially if your pet is a chewer! Though Trupanion can help you pay for the $1073.22 vet bill for Sago Palm toxicity, it’s best to prevent these illnesses in the first place and keep your pet’s life out of harm’s way.

*Read the complete list of toxic plants.

Many pet owners consider their pets as a part of the family. Though we’re aware that they are a different species, we may not realize that many of our behaviors mirror those of our furry companions. Find out how you and your pet are more similar than you think.

1.       A Kong is like an ice cream cone for a human. We lick and chew at it until we can get the good stuff inside.

2.       A Belly rub is like a back massage for a human. We’ll take one any time and it doesn’t matter who’s giving it because it feels so good!

3.       Squeak toys are like video games. How many times do I have to push this button before the thing dies?

4.       A walk in the park is equal to a vacation for humans. It’s that awesome place we always want to visit, but circumstances hold us back from going there whenever we want.

5.       Dental bones are like gummy bear vitamins. Fun to chew, thoroughly enjoyable, AND they’re good for you!

6.       Their identification tag is like our GPS. We need it to find our way home and without it, we’d be lost.

7.       People food to pets is like dessert to humans.  No matter how much of it we get, we always want more.

8.       Treats given to multiple pets are comparable to human meals at a restaurant. Once we see what the other guy got, we wish we had it too.

9.       Digging a hole or scratching a post is like surfing the internet for humans. We don’t always know why we’re doing it, but it keeps us completely entertained.

10.   A Human hand is like a slot machine. Though we usually get nothing, we keep prodding it in the hopes that something good will come from it.